Thermostatic heat-regulator



S. LIPPERT.

THERMOSTATIC HEAT REGULATOR.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 2s. 191s.

` SAIVIUIELL LIPPERT, 0F EAST CLEVELAND, OHIO.

THERMOSTATIC HEAT-REGULATOR.

I Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 1, 1920.

Application led February 28, 1916. Serial No. 80,853.

To all whom t may concern Be it known that I, SAMUEL LIPPERT, a citizen of the United States, and resident of East Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga and State ofl Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Thermostatic Heat-Regulators, of which I hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The objects of the invention are to provide a device for controlling the vacuum end of a radiator that is included in a heating system which comprises radiato-rsand inlet and vacuum lines communicating respectively with the opposite ends thereof.

In this system means are employed for creating a vacuum in the vacuum lines to withdraw the confined air, vapor or water from the radiators in advance of the steam entering-the inlet lines from the boiler and remove all pressure thereon, whereby steam as soon as generated in the boiler will commence to flow through the inlet pipes, and

a more rapid action with great economy of coal in the production of steam is accom-` pushed.

The operation of the system is made substantially automatic by means ofthe con` trolling device above mentioned and the operation of the system is also made iexible thereby and so asto control the ,flow of steam in each separate radiator.

The controlling device above mentioned comprises a valve casing in the exhaust or vacuum end of vthe radiator, in which are positioned first a sensitive thermally operated valve arranged to close the exhaust pas-v sage leading to the vacuum lines as soon as live'steam begins to pass therethrough into the vacuum lines, second, a gravity operated valve operating to close the exhaust ypassage and prevent the rentrance of air when the steam cools and condenses in the radiator as when the boilers are shut down at night, thus retaining the vacuum in the radiator, to assist a fresh flow of steam to pass through without resistance. v y

Finally an additional valve in the casing manually or otherwise operated, to permit the forming of an air cushion in the radiator, so that with a series of radiators they can be individually and selectively cut o and added to the heating series, and the temperature of any one room can be independently controlled, also any amount of air cushioning desired can be obtained thereby, whereby the dead air can be retained in any desired number of coils, to prevent them from heating, and thereby reducing the heating capacity of the radiator to control the temperature as desired.

'I he invention specifically includes a valve casing having a chamber therein provided with a passage communicating with the ra- -diator and controlled by means of an automatically and gravity operated valve for preventing the return 0f air and vapor thereto, and also provided with an outlet opening leading to the vacuum line and preferably at a lower level through which the foul air and vapor and water entrapped in the radiator are expelled, and which is controlled by means of an exhaust valve opera-ted by an expanding thermal element, that closes the outlet opening after the air and vapor have passed through, vas soon as the hot steam impinges upon the thermal element.

It includes an djustable valve in the exhausty passage.

i The invention has specific form of construction of the exhaust valve and of the looped thermal element which vpermits of the automatic adjustment of the valve to its seat in case the looped element should become distorted in shape.

It also includes the addition of guiding means .or a finder on the valve and a loose connection with the thermal loop permitting the action of the finder.

The invention comprises the combination and arrangement of parts and construction of details hereinafter described, shown in the accompanying drawings and specifically pointed out in the claims. 1

In the accompanying drawingsFigure 1` is a vertical central section through the device; Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a radiator to which a thermostat and valves shown in section are attached; Fig. 3 is a transverse section of the thermostat and cas# ing on line as Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a detail of valve; Fig. 5 is a transverse section of valve stem, thermostat, and exhaust valve; Fig. 6 is a section of a modified form of exhaust valve.

In these views a closed chamber A A is a casing provided with having a horizontal inreference also to the let opening B in which is shown an inclined seat upon which rests the hinged gravity seated valve C.

This valve permits air and vapor and water to be drawn into the chamber from the radiator but prevents the return thereof into the radiator. D is the outlet passage preferably provided with a horizontal opening d, positioned preferably at a lower level than the inlet opening B but elevated above the bottom of the chamber to permit the deposit of sand or scale in the chamber and preventl its entering the vacuum pump. If the valve C were on a level with or below the outlet opening d the water would partly submerge the said valve and cause it to move slug ishly or not move at all; therefore the valve D is positioned above the opening 0l where it will be above the water level and free to respond quickly to water pressure. The bottom of the chamber constitutes the plug E which is screw threaded at e, to permit removal for cleaning the chamber.

The openings B, d, and D preferably increase in size toward the vacuum lines so that they may free themselves from sediment. v

The outlet passage D is formed in the central projection E of this plug, and upon the side opposite the horizontal opening al is secured one end of the metallic thermal loop F to the other end of which is attached the valve Gr which closes this openingwhen the loop expands. A

This looped band is formed of bars of metal having different ratios of expansion and united together throughout their lengths by means of fused metal interposed between them; the bars are then rolled out into thin bands and bent into the form of flattened loops, the sides of which may be unequal in length if desired.

One end is attached to the projection in the bottom of the chamber and the other end supports the valve. V is a slot and V is a screw therein or guide preventing lateral movement of the band but permitting expansion thereof. i

l The connection between the valve and loop is preferably loose enough to permit some play for automatic adjustment of the valve on its seat, since the looped band is easily bent out of alinement and the automatic adjustment of the valve permits the valve to seat itself perfectly without regard to the amount of distortion of the loop.

To accomplish this object the valve G is preferably formed in a semi-spherical shape, and is provided with a stem g which projects through an enlarged opening g in the end of the loop.` A further extension g2 of reduced size is then preferably vriveted over the opening, over the washer g3 interposed between the head of the rivet and the loop.

A finger G attached centrally to the in- It will be observed that even when the loop is distorted the valve will nd its way to the seat in the opening. In Fig. l the action is illustrated in dotted lines when the loop is longitudinally distorted and in Fig. 3 when it is laterally twisted out of line with the opening.

The two sides of the loop from point of attachment P to the axis of the valve 'must be equal in length'to prevent distortion and to bring the valve directly to its seat as the loop expands. The attaching screw at P serves as a pivot on which the loop can swing in any direction, without throwing the valve out of its seat. y

In Fig. t the valve is shown ready for attachment to the loop and before the head has been pressed upon the rivet.

A modified form of valve is shown in Fig. 6 where G is the valve, F the expandin@V band.

D2 is an annular projection upon the valve which enters loosely the opening Gr3 in the band and G4 is a screw opening through this projection and valve and with the head abutting strongly against the projection G2. 'v

This permits the valve to be rotated by the screw on its seat to regrind the valve and seat.

At K is shown a valve in the inlet opening in each radiator by means of which the radiator can be completely or partially shut off from the exhaust action of the pump and in this manner the temperature in each radiator can be separately regulated at pleasure. l

This valve may be operated manually by means of the lever K', or by any convenient means, and when open the air will escape freely from the radiator, but the air can be confined in any number of coils by partially or completely closing/this valve, and thereby the steam can be restrained from entering as many coils as may be desired, and the heating power of the radiator reduced or increased at pleasure.

This structure applied in the heating system makes it flexible and controllable, at the pleasure and convenience of the occupants.

A large number of experiments with thermal loops having sides of different lengths, have proved conclusively that the only form in which the valve will close on its seat positively and in which its axis will coincide with the axis of its seat, is V the form in which the sides of the loop are equal in length and the point of attachment is positioned in line with the axisl of the valve and seat when closed and said axis and point of attachment, must be centrally positioned in the band.

Having described the invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. In a device of the class described, the combination of a valve casing provided with an inlet passage communicating with the exhaust end of a radiator, an outlet passage in said casing positioned at a lower level than said inlet passage, 1va thermal valve controlling said outlet passage, a gravity actuated check valve controlling said inlet passage, and a manually operated valve positioned in said inlet passage.

2. In a device of the class described, the combination of a valve casing provided with an inlet passage communicating with the exhaust end of a radiator, a plug threaded in the bottom of said casing and provided with an outlet passage extending therethrough and communicating with the interior of said casing at a point below said inlet passage, a thermal valve controlling said outlet passage, a check valve controlling said inlet passage, and a manuallyoperated valve positioned in said inlet passage.

3. In a device of the class described, the

combination of a valve casing provided with an inlet passage communicating with the exhaust end of a radiator, an outlet passage in said casing positioned at a lower level than said inlet passage, 'a thermal valve controlling said outlet passage and a check valve controlling said inlet passage.

4. In a device of the class described, the combination of a valve casing provided with an inlet passage communicating with the exhaust end of a radiator, an outlet passage in said casing positioned at a lower level than said inlet passage, a thermal valve controlling said outlet passage, and a check valve controlling said inlet passage, said check valve being hingedly connected at the top thereof and positioned at an oblique angle whereby the force of gravity shall normally hold said valve in the closed position.

In testimony whereoi` I hereunto set my hand this 26th day of February, 1916.

SAMUEL LIPPE-RT.

In presence of- WM. M. MONROE, FRANK H. EWING. 

